Lu Ye nodded, aware that the news of the stabilization of the West Border Demon Burial Plain had likely spread by now.
"What were you doing in the Western Territory?" Jiang Lingyue asked, the blush on her face having faded considerably, looking curious.
"If I told you I went to save the Western Territory, would you believe me?" Lu Ye said after a moment’s thought, using a half-joking tone.
Unexpectedly, Jiang Lingyue’s eyes lit up immediately: "What... you went to do something that significant?!"
Meanwhile, Yu Yu hurried back to her courtyard and had already sent a message to Yu You.
Unexpectedly, the news that followed left Yu Yu somewhat puzzled.
In the message, her uncle said he had never met anyone named Lu Ye.
Even after Yu Yu described Lu Ye’s appearance as a young man, the response remained the same.
"Ah... never met him? Then how does Junior Sister Jiang’s brother-in-law know my uncle?"
Instantly, Yu Yu fell into confusion as well.
Her parents had passed away long ago, so she did not join the Shangxiao Sect to avoid remaining in a place of sorrow and instead went to the Northern Territory to become a disciple of the Wuxiang Sect.
However, her relationship with this uncle was quite good, so Yu Yu felt Yu You had no reason to deceive her.
So, does this mean one of the two is lying?
But Yu Yu couldn’t figure out why that brother-in-law would need to lie.
After all, she had already planned to leave at that time.
Just as Yu Yu was about to put away the communication jade token, new information came through from the other side.
Yu You: [By the way, I haven’t seen anyone named Lu Ye you mentioned, but I have seen a similar young man, Chen Beixuan, Elder Chen from your Northern Territory.]
Chen... Elder?
Seeing this name, Yu Yu felt a slight tremor in her heart.
[Uncle, you’ve met Elder Chen?!]
Yu You: [Yes, the news about the upheaval in the West Border Demon Burial Plain must have reached the Northern Territory as well. We were all at a loss, speculating that the origin of the chaos was in the Burial Demon Sand Land, but our strength was utterly inadequate to venture in for investigation.]
Yu You: [Fortunately, Elder Chen happened to come by.]
Yu You: [Elder Chen, this time, single-handedly contained the upheaval in the Forbidden Land and even my uncle Zhao Guang and I saw two Earth Realm cultivators chasing each other. After some time, they both disappeared. I suspect Elder Chen already has the power to easily eliminate Earth Realm Late Stage cultivators!]
Reading this, Yu Yu pondered for a moment and replied to Yu You...
Yu Yu: [Uncle, I’ve also received news here. It is said that the Yuanyang Palace Saint Son, with Celestial Realm cultivation, issued a challenge to Elder Chen Beixuan not long ago from the Boundless Sea. For the Yuanyang Saint Son to issue a challenge, I suspect... Elder Chen is already at the Celestial Realm!]
After sending this message over, there was a long silence from Yu You’s side.
He was likely also shocked by this information.
The first Celestial Realm battle with the Sea Spirit Saintess took place in Mist Heaven Hall, which is in the Northern Territory, drawing much attention there.
At the time, the Western Territory was preoccupied with the turmoil in the Forbidden Land, paying little attention here.
So upon hearing this now, Yu You admitted he was stunned.
"If he’s in the Celestial Realm, that makes sense. Only thus could those two Earth Realm Mid-Late Stage cultivators vanish in the blink of an eye..."
Thinking about the good relationship he established with Chen Beixuan using a Celestial Array City token, Yu You felt even more content, thinking it was quite profitable!
If he reveals himself as a friend of Elder Chen, no Earth Realm Grandmaster from elsewhere in Xuanzhou would dare easily antagonize him should they come to the Western Territory.
At the same time, in Yu Yu’s courtyard, she couldn’t help but glance in the direction of Jiang Lingyue...
"Only encountered one young man, Elder Chen... Could it be that Junior Sister Jiang’s brother-in-law is also named Chen Beixuan?!"
This thought had barely surfaced before Yu Yu dismissed it with an amused disbelief.
How could that be possible?!
Elder Chen never mentioned having two names.
Besides, Junior Sister Jiang’s brother-in-law, being able to act as the mysterious person eliminating the Zhou Family Ancestor, already seemed impressive enough.
He must be at least at the Grandmaster Late Stage.
As for being in the Mortal Realm, Earth Realm, or even the Celestial Realm... Yu Yu observed, feeling that Junior Sister Jiang’s brother-in-law didn’t quite seem like it.
...
The city where the Zhou Family resides.
Suddenly hearing this news rapidly spreading in the Northern Territory and the announcement from the Wuxiang Sect, many Zhou Family members were dumbfounded.
They knew nothing of this!
It makes sense, after all, the fewer people know about such a critical matter, the better the secret can be kept.
But now, these ordinary members were completely stupefied.
Just like that, their once illustrious Grandmaster Clan had turned into a fallen family, despised by all in the Northern Territory with the disappearance of the Zhou Family Ancestor?!
Of course, calling it truly fallen might be an exaggeration. Compared to ordinary families, they still had advantages.
Despite the loss of the Zhou Family Ancestor, there were still two Innates in the Zhou Family.
One had gone to Wuxiang Mountain with the ancestor, but with one remaining in the clan, they still maintained the status of an Innate Clan.
But the problem came with the newly surfaced information!
Attempting to kidnap the newly crowned Tier Five Alchemy Master Jiang Lingyue!
Once Master Jiang Lingyue developed her own network... would those connections come to suppress the Zhou Family intentionally?
The Zhou Family, with only one Innate left, wouldn’t be able to withstand these changes at all.
Thus, although the Zhou Family still holds the foundation of an Innate Clan, in no more than half a year, it would completely decline.
In the Zhou Family’s main hall.
The Zhou Family Patriarch sat in his chair for a long while before finally letting out a heavy sigh.
"Alright, now that it’s happened, there’s no use saying more. From today onward, the Zhou Family... will disband."
After saying this, the Zhou Family Patriarch’s once upright posture instantly slumped, as if suddenly losing all spirit and energy.
The Zhou family elders, who had lived for over a hundred years, also expressed no objections, each remaining silent.
Having offended a Tier Five Alchemy Master, the Zhou Family’s continued existence and the survival of so many of its descendants was already a fortunate outcome.
On Wuxiang Mountain.
Jiang Lingyue was carrying a rather large food box on her way back to her courtyard.
Not long ago, she had happily gotten several specialty dishes from the sect’s dining hall, intending to bring them back for Lu Ye to try.
Meanwhile, the disciples in the dining hall were marveling at how no wonder she was one of the sect’s top talents!
Having just gone through such a dangerous episode, she immediately turned around and packed so much food to bring back...
Truly a seasoned diner.